


Auld Lang Syne

by jeeno2



Series: Short Stories From the Vortex [9]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 22:52:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5603998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeeno2/pseuds/jeeno2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's New Year's Eve.  John Smith finally works up the courage to make his move -- but the coffee shop where Rose Tyler works is closing earlier than he'd planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Auld Lang Syne

**Author's Note:**

> The world's eleventy billionth coffee shop AU, because there can never be too many. ;) Written for ventela1 on tumblr, in response to the prompt: "Ten x Rose: Coffee Shop AU"

“Um, excuse me?  John?  We’re closing now.”

John looks up from his calculus textbook to see Rose standing in front of him, wearing a fuzzy pink sweater (instead of her usual green-and-white checked apron) and an apologetic expression.

He glances at his watch.

“But it’s only half-eight,” he says, trying (and failing, he knows) not to sound whiny and pathetic.  “You’re usually open until midnight.”

“Yes.  But tonight’s New Year’s Eve, yeah?  We actually closed thirty minutes ago.”  She smiles at him in sympathy.   “I know you probably got finals to study for or something.  But I gotta lock up.”

John nods, understanding.  He moves to unplug his laptop so she won’t see the disappointment he knows must be written all over his face.

Because he knows – on some level at least – that his plan for tonight was ridiculous. If he’s honest with himself he’s known his infatuation with Rose would never amount to anything from the very moment it began six months ago, the first time he sat at her table and she served him coffee.  Rose Tyler is a beautiful, vivacious young woman.  From what he’s gleaned from his six months’ patronage here and their frequent conversations she has a loving family, loads of friends – and almost certainly more good-looking blokes throwing themselves at her on a regular basis than a person could on two hands.

His half-baked plan of asking her out tonight at _Java Jive’_ s usual closing time – at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, the most romantic moment of the entire year (according to _When Harry Met Sally_  and literally every single rubbish romcom he’s ever seen) – was never going to end well.   Really, the managers are doing him a favor by closing early.

“Well then,” John says, resigned, gathering his things and pushing back from his chair.  He looks up at her and tries to smile.  “Happy New Year, Rose.”

She looks at him a long moment, her expression unreadable.  “Yeah.  Happy New Year.”

The next thing John knows, Rose’s arms are around his neck and she’s pressing her beautiful full lips to his.

The kiss is chaste, and over almost as soon as it began.  John feels like he’s been struck by lightning all the same.  His eyes are wide as saucers as she pulls back and he licks his lips involuntarily, before he can stop himself from doing it.  He can taste traces of her cherry-red lip balm on his tongue.

“Been wanting to do that for ages now,” Rose tells him shyly, her cheeks as pink as her sweater.  Her words shock John to his very core.  “Figured New Year’s Eve was the best time to give it a go.”  She trails off and laughs nervously, her eyes on her fingernails.  “It’s gotta be midnight somewhere, yeah?”

It takes what feels like ages for John’s tongue to unstick itself from the roof of his mouth and for his brain to catch up with his mouth.  When he finally regains control of his faculties, John breaks out into a grin so broad it feels like his face might split in two.

“Oh, yes.  It’s definitely midnight somewhere,” he agrees.  “I think it’s been midnight in India for at least thirty minutes now.”

Rose’s eyes meet his.  She looks so adorably nervous and shy it takes all of John’s restraint not to pull her into his arms right then and snog her senseless.  “Yeah?”

“Sure.  Why not?”  

Tentatively, he reaches out his hand towards her and wiggles his fingers.  She accepts his wordless invitation and takes his hand, threading her fingers through his.  It feels fantastic, her hand in his.   _She’s_  fantastic.

“Fancy a cup of coffee, John?”  Her tone is quiet, shy – but her beautiful smile would outshine any sun.  “I know a place that’s open twenty-four hours.”


End file.
